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(Four Images)
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Historic Structures of
Hammond, Indiana
State Street
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Downtown Hammond suffered over the last couple of decades, after the opening
of large shopping malls in neighboring Illinois. However,
there are new signs of hope for a rebirth of downtown Hammond.
A large housing complex is being built just a couple of blocks
away, meaning a large number of potential shoppers nearby. In
addition, glitzy casinos on Hammond's shoreline are bringing
in new tax revenues, which, if wisely used, could provide healthy
tax credits to developers who want to restore historic buildings.
Another bonus: Hammond offers great proximity to Chicago
(it neighbors Chicago on the Indiana side) yet it offers a small
city feel.
All photos by Timothy Arends
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| State Street in Hammond, one of the city's main
commercial districts. While there are a lot of gaps, a lot of
historic buildings remain. |
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L. Fish furniture building (1927), now a center for Hispanic
Americans, is a striking example of Art Deco architecture and
terra-cotta ornamentation..
(The wooden water tanks you see on this and other old buildings
serve a very useful purpose; they use technology from the 1890s
to hold water for tap and sprinkler systems.
The tanks are unaffected by the loss of electrical power during
a fire and provide the only ready water supply for some buildings.
Since they are elevated, gravity pulls the water down and gives
fire crews time to set up on the street.
Electrical pumps bring water up from the city's underground
pipes to the tanks. Water from the tanks is used for bathrooms
and kitchens throughout a building. The tank is automatically
refilled when an electric sensor tells it that the supply is
low.
With only rare exceptions, the tanks are made of wood because
it is such an excellent temperature moderator. Water stays cooler
in the summer and warmer in the winter.)
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The Colonial Revival Lincoln Hotel (1923) is in excellent
condition and the ground floor has been minimally altered.
Another view of the Lincoln.
The Odd Fellows must have been important indeed to
have their own building in Hammond's central business district.
The inscription at the top of the building reads "I.O.O.F.
Calumet Lodge 601" and above the central doorway is inscribed
"Odd Fellow's Building." The minimally altered building
is now the Marcus Plumbing Supply Co.
Renaissance Revival, 1924.
| A preservation success story: the Edward C.
Minas Building, c. 1913, is being converted into the State Street
Lofts. Sign reads: "Studio one and two bedroom loft condominiums,
retail and office loft condominiums; in Hammond's new downtown
arts district; now taking deposits; (219) 931-5113." Commercial
Vernacular. |
The charming American Trust and Savings Bank, an example
of Neoclassical architecture, dates back to 1899.
Hammond Federal Building (1939) is a more modern example
of Neoclassical architecture.
| The impressive five-story Seifer's building
(1925) shows the Colonial Revival style. The inscription in the
masonry above the entryway reads "Seifer's Furniture Co."
Despite its appearance, this building is still in use; on the
Sunday I photographed it, people were entering and leaving. |
A peculiar mix of 1960's-era facadism over an older
brick building.
| Just goes to show, bad taste knows no decade!
Another example of the "facadism" of the 60's, this
building (long since abandoned by the perpetrator) was converted
into a giant neon billboard! (So tacky, it's actually
funny.) |
(Four Images)
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